Rail-joint.



UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOIl'IS-BIiESSING, OF JACKSON. MICHIGAN.

RAIL-JOINT.-

oaesa i 1913.

To all who/1t '12 may concern. 4

Be it known that l, Loris BLESSING, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Jackson. in the county of Jackson and State ofMichigan. have invented cer tain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a rail joint which provides a continuousriding surface for a car Wheel and at the same time permits a certainflexibility of movement in the'rail ends corresponding to the bending ofthe bodies of the rails under load so that there are no hard spotsproduced in the track while at the same time the rail ends are kept frombeing battered.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a view in perspective of a rail joint thatembodies features of the invention; Fig. 2 is a view in transversesection taken on or about line II-II of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a view insection taken on or Fig. 1.

As herein shown in preferred form, the end portions 1 of rails of stockform are secured in abutting and alined position in the usual manner. Aninner fish plate '2 that has a base flange 3 that conforms to and restson the upper face of the inner base flanges 4 of the rails is providedwith a pair of inner longitudinal ribs 5 that bear against the web 6 ofthe rail under the influence of a pair of outer clamping bolts 7 andinner clamping bolts 8. The plate is of such depth that the underface ofthe tread or ball of the rail does not normally contact therewith. Theouter bolts 7 pass through apertures that correond vertically in sizethereto while the inner bolts-pass loosely throughlarger apertures. Anouter plate 9 has an inner marginal flange 1O fitting in the angle ofthe web about line IIIIII of and outer base flange of each rail and acor- .responding upper inner rib l1 tha" bears against the web of therail .at an interval below the tread portionor ba'll thereon. An uprightweb portion 12 of the outer plate extends upwardly to a short distancebelow the horizontal plane of the crown of the rail tread. The bolts 7and 8 pass through both plates and the rail Webs. YVhen in use andSpecification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr, 28, 1914 Continuation ofapplication Serial No. 684,494, filed March 18, 1912.

Serial No. 789,030.

This application filed September 10,

under load the inner end portions of the rails can spring downsuflicientlv to allow the load to bear ,npon the outer coupling plate,the clearance between the inner end portions of the rail and the uppermargin of the inner fish plate permitting it.

Obviously, changes in the details of construction may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention and I do not care to limitmyself to any particular form or arrangement of parts.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is 1. A rail joint comprising thecombination with a pair of alined track rails with their ends inabutment, of an inner fish plate that bears on the base flange of therail on one side thereof, the upper margin of the I fish plate being atan interval below the under face of the rail tread, an outer plate haveing an inner marginal flange that bears against the web and base flangeof each rail in the angles thereof and provided with an upwardlyextending fiange having a tread face at a slight distance below thecrown of the rail tread, outer bolts extending through the plates andrail, web and holding the plates against the faces of the web, and innerbolts securing the plates together and extending through the rail websnear the end thereof, the engagement of the inner bolts and webspermitting vertical play of the rails without affecting the bolts.

2. A rail joint comprising the combination of a pair of alined abuttingtrack rails with an inner plate resting on the inner base flanges of therails and bearing against the contiguous web faces thereof, there beingan interval below the lower faces of the rail tread portions and theupper face of the plate, an outer plate that bears against the baseflanges of the rail and the adjacent web face thereof and clears thelower faces of the tread portions of the rail,-a portion of the outerplate extending upwardly in contact with the side of" the rail treadportion, of each rail, bolts securing the end portions of the plates tothe rail web and closely engaging the latter and bolts clamping throughboth plates and the inner web portions of the rails and loosely engagingthe latter to per-' mit free vertical movement of the rails Withoutaifecting' the bolts.

A rail joint comprising the combination of a pair of alined abuttingtrack rails with an inner fish plate having a base flange that rests onthe base flanges of the adjzv through the end portions of both platesand 15 cent rails, the upper face of the plate being closely through therail Web, and a pair of at an interval below the overlying portion innerbolts that pass through both plates and of the ball of each rail, anouter face plate loosely through the Web portions of the rails 5 thatbears'along its inner lower margin on near the ends thereof, whereby theend. porthe base flanges of the rail, longitudinal ribs tions of therails are free to move vertically 23 on the outer plate that bearagainst the adwithout affecting said inner bolts. jacent faces of therail Webs, the upper lon- In testimony whereof I affix my signaturegituclinal rib being it in ikntlelrvzg belpw thle in presence of twowitnesses.

1o overlyin ortion o t e a o eaci rai, T i T and a poi-tin of the outerplate that extends l GU-LS E adjacent the hall of the 1 extending to alVitnesses: slight distance below t revel of the crest i J. H.111.BROWN, of the rail tread, a pair oft oolts each passing i MILTO J.Dnnrnn.

